ANN ARBOR—TSRLabs, a preclinical contract research organization specializing in testing services and early-stage drug development strategy, announced that Syntheia Labs has established operations within TSRLabs’ Ann Arbor headquarters.
Syntheia Labs provides high-resolution data packages and customized preclinical CRO services designed to predict structural heart risk in active drug pipelines. By combining proprietary, in-house three-dimensional human heart tissue with advanced genomics, the company delivers deep biological clarity that helps partners eliminate preventable, late-stage clinical failures.
Led by CEO Merlinda-Loriane Sewavi, Syntheia Labs serves a diverse ecosystem spanning AI computational biology platforms, preclinical CROs, and global pharmaceutical companies.
The addition brings another growing life sciences company into TSRLabs’ Ann Arbor location and creates opportunities for greater interaction between experienced pharmaceutical scientists and emerging biotechnology innovators.
“We have always believed that some of the best scientific ideas develop when experienced people have opportunities to work alongside one another,” said Dr. Elke Lipka, President and CEO of TSRLabs. “We are excited to welcome Merlinda and Syntheia Labs to our facility. Supporting growing life sciences companies in Michigan is important to us, and having another innovative team working under the same roof creates opportunities for collaboration that can benefit everyone involved.”
For TSRLabs, the agreement builds on the company’s long history of supporting early-stage drug developers, academic researchers, and entrepreneurs. In addition to providing integrated preclinical CRO services, TSRLabs has worked extensively with emerging companies and research teams navigating the scientific and strategic decisions required to advance promising therapeutic programs.
The relationship gives Syntheia Labs a home within an established pharmaceutical research environment as the company continues developing its technology and helping drug development teams make better-informed decisions about which candidates to advance.
“The right environment matters when you’re building technology that reshapes how critical drug safety decisions are made,” Sewavi said. “At Syntheia Labs, our goal is to give development teams absolute clarity on structural cardiac risk. Our mission leverages our proprietary 3D human heart tissue and high-resolution genomics long before pipelines face costly clinical trial failures. Co-locating with TSRLabs surrounds our data and lab teams with deep preclinical expertise. It’s an ideal setup as we scale our CRO services, partner with AI and pharma leaders, and reinforce Michigan’s position as a powerhouse for biotech innovation.”
Syntheia Labs has received investment from Red Cedar Ventures, a venture investment subsidiary of the MSU Research Foundation that supports early-stage startups emerging from Michigan State University, and 84|90, an early-stage venture capital and investment firm based in Detroit. It is also a graduate of the Henry Ford Innovations x MSU Research Foundation accelerator. Its move into TSRLabs’ headquarters marks another stage in the company’s growth and adds to the concentration of emerging life sciences innovation in the Ann Arbor region.
Learn more about partnering opportunities with TSRLabs at https://www.tsr-labs.com/partnering. More about Syntheia Labs at https://www.syntheiabio.com/.